A chromene compound represented by the following formula (1): ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, m, and n are defined in the specification. The chromene compound is rarely deteriorated by exposure.

Claim:

The invention claimed is:

1. A chromene compound represented by the following formula (1): ##STR00096## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbonatoms, cycloalkyl group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, perfluoroalkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aralkyl group having 7 to 11 carbon atoms, aralkoxy group having 7 to 11 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, aryloxy group having 6to 10 carbon atoms or alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, with the proviso that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 cannot be alkoxy groups having 1 to 6 carbon atoms at the same time; R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each independently a hydrogen atom, hydroxyl group,alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aralkyl group having 7 to 11 carbon atoms, aralkoxy group having 7 to 11 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atomsor aryloxy group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms; R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 or R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 may be bonded together to form an alkylene group or alkylenedioxy group; R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are each independently a hydroxy group, alkyl group having 1 to 9carbon atoms, cycloalkyl group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aralkyl group having 7 to 11 carbon atoms, aralkoxy group having 7 to 11 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, aryloxy group having 6 to10 carbon atoms, cyano group, nitro group, halogen atom, halogenoalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or halogenoalkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and m and n are each independently an integer of 0 to 4.

2. A chromene composition comprising the chromene compound according to claim 1 represented by the formula (1) and a chromene compound having an absorbance due to thermochromism of 0.1 or less and the absorption end of its ultravioletabsorption spectrum at 380 to 430 nm.

3. The chromene composition according to claim 2, wherein the chromene compound having an absorbance due to thermochromism of 0.1 or less and the absorption end of its ultraviolet absorption spectrum at 380 to 430 nm is a chromene compoundrepresented by the following formula (2): ##STR00097## wherein R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are each an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, amino group, heterocyclic group havinga nitrogen atom as a hetero atom and bonded to a benzene ring by the nitrogen atom bonded to the benzene ring, or halogen atom, o and p are each an integer of 0 to 2, with the proviso that when o and p are each an integer of 1 to 2, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8,two R.sup.7's and two R.sup.8's may be the same or different; R.sup.9 is an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, aryloxygroup having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, amino group, heterocyclic group having a nitrogen atom as a hetero atom and bonded to a benzene ring by the nitrogen atom bonded to the benzene ring, or halogen atom, and q is an integer of 0 to 2; when q is 2, theboth substituents may be bonded together to form an alkylenedioxy group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are each a hydrogen atom, hydroxy group, alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms,alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, aryloxy group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, acyloxy group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to 7 carbon atoms, formyl group, carboxyl group, aminogroup, heterocyclic group having a nitrogen atom as a hetero atom and bonded to a benzene ring by the nitrogen atom bonded to the benzene ring, amide group, halogen atom, halogenoalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or halogenoalkoxy group having 1 to6 carbon atoms.

4. A photochromic material comprising a polymer material and the chromene composition of claim 2 dispersed in the polymer material.

8. The photochromic curable composition according to claim 7, wherein the content of the chromene composition is 0.001 to 10 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the polymerizable monomers.

9. The photochromic curable composition according to claim 7 which further comprises a photopolymerization initiator.

10. The photochromic curable composition according to claim 7 which further comprises a thermopolymerization initiator.

11. An optical product which comprises an optical substrate covered with a polymer film containing the chromene composition of claim 2 dispersed therein, wherein the polymer film is a film cured by the optical radical polymerization of aphotochromic curable composition comprising the chromene composition of claim 2 and polymerizable monomers.

18. An optical product which comprises an optical substrate covered with a polymer film containing the chromene compound of claim 1 dispersed therein.

19. An optical product which comprises an optical substrate covered with a polymer film containing the chromene compound of claim 1 dispersed therein, wherein the polymer film is a film cured by the optical radical polymerization of aphotochromic curable composition comprising the chromene compound of claim 1 and polymerizable monomers.